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The 2009-10 academic school year will mark the first time in Miami University's history second-year students must live on campus, and last-minute problems are leaving many students without guaranteed housing.
The new sophomore living requirement, implemented by the Office of Student Affairs, has fallen short according to students who are caught in the grips of the current housing situation.
Ashley Smith, a first-year student and member of the Honors program, said she has faced a daunting process through her housing selection and faulted the process as the source of her troubles.
"I have no idea where I am going to live next year," Smith said. "I don't have a room, and I am not guaranteed to live with my roommate of choice. (Housing) doesn't know when they can tell me if I can get a room until mid-July possibly, and that is not okay."
While Smith described her predicament as a "housing limbo," Brian Woodruff, assistant director of the department of housing, dining and guest services, said such waiting periods are an expected outcome of the sophomore living requirement.
"Everything that has happened, we have been planning for," Woodruff said. "We knew that there would temporarily come a time when there are no rooms. We are reserving rooms for incoming freshmen, and we take into account the number of students who will not be returning next semester because of withdrawal and study abroad."
Woodruff said he assured second-year students waiting to hear news about room availability they would stay informed.
"We have e-mailed letting (those students) know about a pending assignment," Woodruff said. "It is important to us for our second-year students to get rooms that they will like."
However, despite the reassurance from Woodruff, Smith said she continued to doubt the housing process, citing an unpleasant experience.
Smith said housing led to the loss of a potential room in Bishop Hall by giving her faulty information regarding her roommate.
"They weren't really willing to help," Smith. "I was told that I was not allowed to pull in my non-Honors roommate, and later found out from a friend that they had allowed her to bring in a non-Honors roommate. That was the only dorm available, and now it is full. Then housing had the nerve to tell me that I was not referring to Bishop, even though I had received the information first hand."
While students like Smith place blame on Miami's housing for the recent displacements, Woodruff identified his department as the "middle-man" working with a program in its infant stages. He said there are no obvious changes that need to be made.
"It was not our decision, but we are supporting it," Woodruff said. "We want to accommodate the most people that want to live with us. This is only the first year of the sophomore requirement, and there are of course still things to be learned."
Woodruff said he is confident all sophomores will be guaranteed housing for next semester. Incoming juniors and seniors who wish to live on campus and have not yet signed a contract have been placed on a waiting list, and Woodruff said they would be informed if housing becomes available for them.
Sophomore Megan Garry said she is also waiting to hear from the department of housing concerning the availability of on-campus housing for next semester. Garry said she thinks upperclassmen have to fend for themselves.
"I feel like Miami should have better prepared for their decision to have second-year students live on campus," Garry said. "They should have either decreased the number of incoming students, or increased the amount of housing."
Woodruff reported more than 900 incoming juniors and seniors have already signed contracts to live on campus for fall 2009, and said they will not be forced out of their rooms.
"We expect to stand by our agreement," Woodruff said.
Despite the growing concern over upperclassmen housing, Woodruff said he remains confident students will not have to live off campus, but he added the Office of Student Financial Assistance would be willing to accommodate students in need if they must live off campus.
